Different
by LittleRedOne
Summary: It was a breath of fresh air compared to all the girls competing for attention and popularity. Nate/Sierra


**A/N:** I'm home sick today and I was thinking story ideas over and found I liked the idea of this pairing. I don't know if it's been done before or not since Sierra isn't on the character drop down list, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any characters or places you recognize from Camp Rock. Their characters may be tweaked a bit, but hopefully not too much.

* * *

Nate sulked inside the barely lit shed positioned in the far, shaded corner of Mitchie's back yard. Shane had made their manager clear their schedule for the day so they could all come to Mitchie's birthday party and here he was now, playing hide and seek. Hide and seek. What was he? Ten? _Eight_? No, he was sixteen years old. He stopped finding this game amusing many, many years ago. Granted, Mitchie's seven-year-old cousin was the one to suggest it, but he still didn't like being forced to play. He had headed straight for the shed when they spread out to hide. That was twenty minutes ago at least. Just when he was about to give up and leave the shed the door cracked open admitting a person before shutting again quickly and quietly. He could tell it was a girl by the length of her hair, but he wasn't sure who it was so he just waited. When all she did was stand inside the door he decided it was time to let himself be known.

"Hello."

The girl jumped and turned to face him and he could see the outlines of her shocked face in the dim light from the tiny, dusty window on the wall between him.

"Oh," she breathed, bringing a hand to her chest. "I didn't know anyone was in here. Sorry. I just thought it'd be a good place to hide this round. I'll find somewhere else."

"Wait," he called as she turned back to the door. "This round?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I was found too quick last time."

"What round is this?"

"The third one," she said like it was obvious.

"What?" he gawked. "I'm still hiding from the first one!"

"Oh, you must be either Robbie, Chris, Nate or Barron then. No one could find them so we just gave up and if we come across them, we come across them."

He remembered the last name being a kid from camp Mitchie had invited and the first two names belonging to cousins of Mitchie's he'd met and nodded. "Yup," he said simply, not clarifying which he was. "Who are you?"

"Sierra," she introduced. He tried to recall a Sierra, but he'd met a lot of girls today, Mitchie had an abnormally large family. She sighed, catching on that he didn't know who she was. "Mitchie's best friend from school, not one of those camp people she invited."

"Oh right," he nodded stupidly, not bothering to take offense to the 'camp people' label he knew he qualified under. "I got it now. The light's not that great in here and I was told a lot of names today."

She stepped closer so he could maybe see her better in the light – not that it helped at all, he couldn't make out any features, just the outlines – and smiled lightly at him. "Not a problem, I get that a lot."

"What do you mean?" he asked, not understanding her fully.

"Oh, people forget me easily," she shrugged. "One of the downsides of being the nerdy one." Nate found himself feeling bad for her. Then she laughed suddenly. "Of course, it's a perk too. I mean, I could be one of the kids everyone picks on. Mitchie and me are perfectly content being the forgotten ones over the bullied ones."

He cocked his head at her, finding it unusual how casual she talked about her lack of popularity. He thought she was different from the other girls he'd met in his sixteen years. Maybe it was from having been in the spotlight for so long now, but he couldn't imagine being over looked so easily and he told her so.

"I don't know, I think I'd rather at least be noticed and bullied then invisible."

She laughed again, shaking her head at him. "That's just silly."

"Well isn't it better to be known? Can you honestly say you wouldn't want to be recognized more often?"

"Well," she said, drawing out the word. "I guess it'd be nice to be recognized, but if the only way I can be recognized is by being bullied why bother?"

As she went on she began speaking with her hands. He'd always thought that trait was annoying, but didn't want to interrupt her and come off as rude. Instead he found himself watching the outline of the one flipping back and forth in front of his face with caution.

"I wouldn't mind having more friends, not that Mitchie's not great," she added quickly, "cause she is, but we don't get to see each other a lot in school you know?" She didn't wait for an answer as she kept talking. "I'm in all these AP classes and she's in regular level, not that she's not smart, cause she is, I'm just more… I don't know, driven I guess. Here, this'll explain it. She's good at music you know? She likes to sing, write lyrics, play instruments. It makes her happy. Well, I'm good at school. I like to learn things, read things, _know_ things. That makes me happy. Did you know I could speak three different languages enough to hold a small conversation? It's fascinating learning."

She stopped to breathe finally and Nate broke in before she could start back up where she left off. "You do know that this really has nothing to do with what we were talking about anymore right?"

"Sorry," she ducked her head. "I talk a lot sometimes."

"It's okay," he chuckled. "It's refreshing how much you like to learn, we can come back to that. I was just really interested in why you wouldn't want to be noticed."

"It's not that I don't want to be noticed," she sighed, moving to sit down beside him. "It's just that I'd like to be noticed in a good way. And I don't get why you would want to be noticed if the only way you would be was bullying. Think about it like this. If you had the option to either live your life peacefully everyday or randomly be teased, pushed or whatever else the bullies get up to these days which would you choose?"

He thought about it for a moment and realised she was right. "I guess I'd want to live peacefully. Don't the invisible girls always want to be recognized though?" he asked thinking of the tale he'd heard of Mitchie trying to fit in last summer. "Don't they always want to be noticed?"

She shook her head and laughed. "You've seen too many movies. There are _tons _of invisible girls in this world. Not all of them want to disrupt the social circle. Some of us are content to just be what we are."

He let her words soak in. He was sure now that she was definitely different, but she was obviously comfortable with herself, proud of herself even. It was a breath of fresh air compared to all the girls competing for attention and popularity. And she was smart and driven too. He could get along with this girl.

"So you speak three languages huh?" he asked.

"Yes," she perked up, talking animatedly again. "I take Mandarin in school and am in the advanced class. I also know French because I have family who lives over in France so I've been learning the language from them. And well, you probably won't count this one, but I do speak it, it's just English. Obviously I speak it though, I am right now."

"That's pretty cool," he smiled. "I was thinking you'd know the basic languages, like Spanish or German."

"Nope," she said proudly. "What about you? You know any languages other then English?"

"As a matter of fact I do," he nodded. "My grandparents are from Italy, so I speak fluent Italian."

"Oh wow," she said in awe. "I'd love to learn Italian."

He laughed at her eagerness. "Scopro che affascinate Sierra."

"What's that mean?" she asked. From the tone of her voice you'd think he was telling some riveting thriller story and not simply complimenting her in a different language.

"I guess you'll just have to learn the language," he smirked.

"No fair!" she proclaimed. "You've got to share your knowledge!"

"Not happening. You'll have to figure it out on your own."

He enjoyed knowing something that she didn't. And though he didn't know her well, he had a pretty good idea that she had committed the phrase to memory and would be looking it up and learning the language as soon as she could.

"So tell me something else about yourself Sierra," he prompted.

"Why don't you tell me something about you?" she responded. "I don't know anything about you other then you speak fluent Italian and you know my best friend. Oh, and you're apparently very good at hide and seek since we haven't been found yet."

She laughed at her own joke and Nate let himself smile at the sound. "Alright, what do you want to know?"

"What ever you want to tell me," she shrugged. "How about your popularity. I assume you're a pretty noticed person if you couldn't fathom why I'd be happy with my invisible status."

"Fair enough. I'm pretty well known," he nodded. "I have a lot of friends, but I have a lot of enemies too. That's why I don't get you. I'm so well known, I couldn't imagine what it's like not to be seen."

"Surely you must have had _some_ point in life when you weren't Mr. Popular."

"I guess, yeah. Years ago though. Everyone wants to be my friend now."

"You know," she said sounding annoyed. "That's a really arrogant thing to say."

Nate was stung by the comment and quickly defended himself. "I can't help it if people want to know me."

"Like that was any better of a statement."

"Well what do you want me to say?" he asked frustrated. "That I'm some nobody like you and people couldn't care less if they were my friends?" She looked away and Nate realised what he said. "Oh crap. I didn't mean it like that Sierra."

"It's fine," she said turning back to him. "I told you I was comfortable with my life. I _am_ a nobody. I can't get offended if you call me one if I do it too."

"I didn't mean to offend you though," he said softly. "I was just trying to get my point across. I'm not in the same situation as you. A lot of people do want to be my friend."

"Should I feel privileged that you're talking to me then?" she joked and Nate knew he was forgiven.

"Oh very," he said as serious as he could. "This should be the highlight of your year, maybe your life."

They both laughed and Nate was suddenly glad he'd been forced into this game that shoved him in to a dark shed with her. He was pretty sure she still had no idea exactly who he was and that made him like her all the more. He wouldn't mind staying friends with this girl. Mitchie would be pretty happy too. She'd been trying to get him to date her friend Caitlyn, something about best friends dating best friends. And though Caitlyn was a bit appealing, she was like too many other girls who tried to be different and didn't always succeed. Sierra, on the other hand, became more appealing every time she spoke. She didn't try to be different, she just was and he liked that. And he was determined to make sure this wasn't the only time he talked to her.

"I like you Sierra," he told her. "You're pretty cool."

"Same to you," she nodded.

"Wanna be friends?" She laughed and he pouted. "What? I was serious."

"_Wanna be friends?_" she quoted, laughing still. "I didn't think people really asked that question."

"Well I do," he said, trying and failing to sound proud.

"Well sure then, let's be friends."

"Great," he smiled. They fell in to a short silence after that until she broke it.

"Hey friend?"

"Yeah?"

Before she could ask her question the door opened. The pair shielded their eyes from the sudden light and squinted towards the door. Mitchie stood there with her hands on her hips and an exasperated smile on her face.

"There you two are!" she exclaimed. "Everyone's been looking for you. The game's over and we were going to do my cake soon."

"Sorry Mitchie," Sierra smiled.

"I'm just amazing at this game," Nate added on.

"Yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes. "Just get out here. Shane and Jason look ready to attack the cake. I think it's safe to say they're getting impatient."

"I can already imagine Jason bouncing on his heels with his eyes glued to that cake," Nate laughed as he climbed out of the shed. He noticed Sierra wasn't behind him and turned back in to the shed and waved her out. "Come on Sierra, the cake won't last long with those two on it."

"Nate?" she asked with wide eyes.

"That's what most people call me, yeah," he nodded with a smile.

"And the rest of us don't call him anything and go get cake," Mitchie said, pathetically hinting that she was in a hurry to get to her cake.

"Sorry," Sierra shook her head, moving from her spot finally and exiting the shed. "I just can't believe it's you."

"Did I miss something?" Mitchie pouted.

Nate shook his head. "I just made a new friend."

Mitchie looked between the two. Nate was smirking and Sierra was blushing. "Oh my gosh!" she said excitedly. "Do you two like each other? That's gonna be so awesome! We can do like everything together now! Double dates will never be a problem because we'll all be such good friends already! This is so cool."

This time, as Mitchie jumped up and down in excitement, both of them blushed and Sierra spoke up quickly. "We're just friends Mitchie. Don't get ahead of yourself now. We aren't going on any double dates any time soon."

"Ha! Not soon, but we will in the future!" she said triumphantly. "I can't wait! Oh! I have to go tell Shane!"

The pair watched her run off before awkwardly looking at each other.

"So," he began before pausing and rethinking what to say. He wanted to negate what Mitchie had been suggesting, but a part of him liked the idea of double dating with her, or single dating with her even. He finally settled on a response. "She's certainly seemed excited."

"Yeah," Sierra rolled her eyes. "Her imagination can get crazy sometimes."

"Is it though?" he asked locking eyes with her. "Crazy, I mean," he added for clarification.

"I don't know," she blushed, looking down quickly before re-meeting his eyes. "I've heard crazier things from her."

That's all Nate needed to hear to know he at least had a shot with her one day and that was good enough for him for now. "Did you want some of that cake? I can get you a piece if you do."

* * *

**A/N:** Dictionary . com's translator did the translation so it's not exact, but the general sense of what he said was simply "I find you fascinating Sierra." If anybody speak Italian and finds that translation very wrong, please let me know the correct phrase and I'll fix it right away.


End file.
